LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — Live Nation has named Hung Tik as the newest member of their team. Tik, formerly Managing Director Hong Kong and China for Universal Music, will serve as Senior Vice President for Greater China. Hung Tik will focus on developing Live Nation's business in China, with a particular focus on touring Chinese and other regional artists throughout Greater China and will base himself between Live Nation's offices in Shanghai and Hong Kong.
Alan Ridgeway, said, "I am very pleased to welcome Hung Tik to the Live Nation team in China. His 18 years of experience in the local music industry will be invaluable as we expand our business in this market, taking advantage of the ever increasing demand for local and international live music."
Hung Tik added, "In the last few years, the changes in the music industry in China have followed those in the West with touring becoming an increasingly important revenue stream for regional artists. I look forward to developing both my existing artist and new artist relationships in order to bring more live concerts to the growing band of live music fans in China and the rest of the region."
Tik is the third addition to the Live Nation team in recent weeks who has a focus on Asian markets and the region is clearly a growing area of interest for the promoter. Luke Hede, named as Director of Booking, Asia, was formerly with with Dainty Consolidated Entertainment, one of the leading promoters in Australia and Chris Adelmann, a financial and real estate specialist with broad experience in Asian markets has also joined the firm.
Live Nation has a number of touring artists currently in the region, including Elton John's sold-out shows in Singapore on May 7 and Hong Kong on May 20 as well as co-promoting with Scenique Productions the "2 Days of Freedom Festival" in Malaysia on May 9 & 10. Last year, they staged the successful Earth Day event in Singapore and has run successful tours with a range of artists, including Roger Waters, the Cure, Christina Aguilera, Muse and Gwen Stefani
Live Nation has also been moving into operating venues there as well and last December, you may recall that they added Hong Kong's new multi-purpose outdoor Pop TV Arena to their portfolio by pacting with China's Cosmedia Group. Cosmedia is in truth, a direct subsidiary of the Chinese Government's State
Administration of Radio, Film and Television. Live Nation's support infrastructure is expanding as well and at present, the promoter maintains offices in Hong Kong, Singapore, Beijing and Shanghai.
While recent developments such as the cancellation of some major music events, including China's largest outdoor pop music event The Midi Music Festival, an evident governmental tightening of travel and performance by foreigners and an apparent growing xenophobia in China's youth may cast a pall over the enthusiasm of western business, a market of 1.3 billion potential ticketbuyers is difficult to ignore.
"(China) is not going to be one of our top markets for a while, but it's a market with great potential," Alan Ridgeway said, noting that there are 50 cities with populations of more than 1 million in China. "And knowledge of Western acts is growing all the time." – CelebrityAccess Staff Writers
